Category
Under pressure, FOIA ombudsman releases recommendations
Posted 4/26/2012 11:54:00 AM
Under threat of subpoena from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the federal agency responsible for improving the administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) sent to Congress last night a set of recommendations (PDF) so mundane that the effort to extract the document from the executive branch calls into question the agency’s independence.
The dangers of pack journalism highlighted in ASNE live chat
Posted 2/8/2012 4:57:00 PM
Decision backed by ASNE brief leads to release of jury information
Posted 2/2/2012 9:31:00 AM
In February 2011, ASNE joined 16 media organizations on an amicus brief urging the Superior Court of Washington, D.C. to release questionnaires completed by jurors serving in the murder trial of Ingmar Guandique, who had been convicted of killing Chandra Levy.
False speech deserves protection, ASNE argues in U.S. Supreme Court case
Posted 1/26/2012 9:39:00 AM
ASNE joins brief asserting that private settlements should be public records
Posted 1/26/2012 9:35:00 AM
ASNE joined an
amicus brief filed last week in federal court (PDF) by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on behalf of several news organizations, including The Associated Press, The New York Times and The Washington Post. The brief supports the Delaware Coalition for Open Government’s constitutional challenge to rules of the Chancery Court of Delaware that allow blanket sealing of private arbitration proceedings and records, including court-supervised settlement agreements.
News organization under assault in Ecuador
Posted 1/19/2012 8:37:00 AM
El Universo, a 90-year-old newspaper in Ecuador, is facing an attack by President Rafael Correa that could shutter the news organization and imprison three of its directors.
Anti-piracy legislation opposed by ASNE stalls
Posted 1/18/2012 11:27:00 AM
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) had bipartisan support and its eventual passage appeared inevitable on Dec. 14, when ASNE became the first journalism organization to oppose the bill. By this past weekend, the bill’s progress had stalled, leaving almost no chance that it would pass in its original form.
What you can do to stop SOPA
Posted 1/11/2012 11:44:00 AM
Last month, ASNE was the first journalism organization to announce its opposition to H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). With the House Judiciary Committee likely to revisit the issue when Congress reconvenes on Jan. 24, and the Senate poised to act quickly if the House moves SOPA through the committee and a successful floor vote, this might be your final opportunity to register your news organization’s views on the bill. We encourage you to raise the issue with your Representative or Senator during the recess, at an editorial board meeting or in your editorial pages, or simply by asking for their views on the bill during a town hall meeting. This is especially important if your representative is
a member of the Judiciary Committee.
Public access to federal mugshots at risk
Posted 1/4/2012 2:01:00 PM
While many states allow public access to photos taken during a criminal booking procedure, the U.S. Marshall’s service in almost every federal circuit refuse to provide them, citing a FOIA exemption intended to protect subjects’ personal privacy rights. The only exception is the Sixth Federal Circuit (i.e., Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee), where the Marshall’s service has given mugshots to requesters for over 15 years.
ASNE issues letter opposing ‘onerous’ federal anti-piracy bill
Posted 12/14/2011 4:16:00 PM